Losing your job is hard enough that you shouldn't have to also fight endless unemployment hangups. Yet that's exactly what numerous people say has been happening in Massachusetts over the past several months because nobody picks up the phone at the state unemployment office."It just says, 'We're busy,' and hangs up," said Andrea Young, who was laid off last summer. "There's no way to reach a human person."When Young lost her job, she didn't expect calling the Massachusetts unemployment hotline to turn into a full-time job, but that's exactly what she says happened. At first, problems certifying her identity held up her unemployment payments, so she uploaded her driver's license and Social Security card. But then weeks went by with still no money and no way to ask about the holdup. Every time Young said she called the state's unemployment phone system, an automated message would say it was overloaded with calls and would automatically disconnect."There is nothing that says hold for the next available representative," she said. "This is our money my money and there's no reason I should have to fight to get my money."Eventually, Young hired a lawyer to write the state a demand letter, which resulted in her finally getting paid but not until six months after getting laid off.Ben Masullo says the same thing happened to him when he lost his job in November."I was willing to wait all day to talk to somebody, and I couldn't even do that," Masullo said, adding that he needed to speak with a customer service representative to figure out what was holding up his payments. "I didn't know what was needed to move my claim forward."Masullo went more than six weeks with no payment and no explanation, during which he estimates he called unemployment at least 75 times."I called every single day and different times of the day, and I got the same message: we are not taking calls today," Masullo said. "It was unbelievable. How could this be where you're desperate to get paid some money, and there's nobody there to talk to you?"Luckily, Masullo was able to draw on his savings. At NewsCenter 5's suggestion, he reached out to his state representative, after which he finally got a callback."To process an unemployment claim, you have to go to your state rep? How ridiculous is that?" Masullo said.A third individual who asked not to be identified agreed that the unemployment phone system just isn't getting the job done. He said he called "at least three times every week for the last six weeks trying to get through.""I'd try in the morning. I'd try in the midafternoon, later in the day. So it never seemed to work," he said. "The system is overloaded, or they don't have enough people to work the phones."The Department of Unemployment Assistance including the call center is still operating on a hybrid remote work schedule, although it's not clear how many days per week employees are required to be in the office.NewsCenter 5 offered the Healey Administration the chance for an on-camera interview about this, but they declined. Matthew Kitsos, a spokesman for the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, which oversees the Department of Unemployment Assistance, sent this statement:"The Department of Unemployment Assistance is committed to ensuring program integrity while timely sending benefits to eligible claimants. DUA recognizes some customers may experience long wait times and is working diligently to strengthen response and improve communication. Fraudulent activity for unemployment insurance is a national issue and Massachusetts is no exception. Increases in fraudulent claims can add additional pressure to the appeals process, call center, and capacity among DUA staff. DUA has taken steps to address these challenges and remains committed to further improvements to better serve its constituents."DUA says December and January can be the busiest months for unemployment claims. According to data provided by the state, that was true in 2024 but not in any of the previous four years going back to 2019.DUA says it is about to launch a new website this spring that will modernize technology and improve the customer experience.

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